Neon Indian, for the sake of categorization, fit nicely into the tsunami of lo-fi pop chillwaving its way onto shores near you. The sound is stripped and washed-out. The '80s vibe is pervasive. There's something airy and loose and druggy about Psychic Chasms, the group's debut album. It's electronic, but also completely organic, filled with synth lines like earwigs and linn drums that would make Morris Day blush. But beneath the pithy typecasting lies an ace songwriter in Alan Palomo.

Essentially a one-man band, with contributions from visual artist Alicia Scardetta, the Texas-born Palomo fills his hazy compositions with an aching, earned sadness coloring songs that otherwise sound like they're dubbed thrice over onto cassette. Maybe it's the influence of his Dad, Jorge, a Spanish-language singer who scored some fame in the '70s — nothing here is a put-on. But there is a curious malleability to the songs. "Deadbeat Summer" would fit perfectly over the end credits of a John Cusack slacker comedy, and just as nicely on a lost and debauched weekend. "Mind, Drips" is both the theme music for a massive pharmaceutical company and the accompanying soundtrack to a Defensive Driving videotape. And the centerpiece, the propulsive "Should Have… read more »